“The Message of Faith!”

Introduction:

Romans 9-11 are all about God’s RELATIONSHIP WITH ISRAEL!

Chapter 9 - Israel’s REJECTION—their PAST!

Chapter 10 - Jews and Gentiles RECEPTION—their PRESENT!

Chapter 11 - Israel’s RESTORATION—their FUTURE!

As stated a few weeks ago, the REASON we need to understand God’s choice and relationship with Israel is because you and I are SAVED by the SAME GRACE, by the SAME MERCY, by the SAME PROMISES, and through the SAME FAITH AS ABRAHAM—and not because we deserved it, or earned it, but because we BELIEVED God’s PROMISE!

Romans 11:32–36 CSB

32 For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may have mercy on all. 33 Oh, the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments and untraceable his ways! 34 For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? 35 And who has ever given to God, that he should be repaid? 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.

The TITLE of this morning’s message, “The Message of Faith!” comes from the text itself (the end of v.8):

Romans 10:1–13 CSB

1 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God concerning them is for their salvation. 2 I can testify about them that they have zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 Since they are ignorant of the righteousness of God and attempted to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted to God’s righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes, 5 since Moses writes about the righteousness that is from the law: The one who does these things will live by them. 6 But the righteousness that comes from faith speaks like this: Do not say in your heart, “Who will go up to heaven?” that is, to bring Christ down 7 or, “Who will go down into the abyss?” that is, to bring Christ up from the dead. 8 On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. This is the message of faith that we proclaim: 9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame, 12 since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on him. 13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

PRAYER…

We begin with…

I. The PRESENT CONDITION of ISRAEL! - (10:1)

(v.1) - “Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God concerning them is for their salvation.”

This it the second time Paul mentions this: (9:1-3)

Paul’s HEART and PRAYER “…for their salvation” REVEALS their current condition: They are LOST!

Which was almost INCONCEIVABLE to them!

The Jews believed they were in a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God simply because they were Jews!

Like Nicodemus, who “…came to him [Jesus] at night,” they assumed they were right with God because of their ethnicity—because they were BORN JEWISH!

Imagine his surprise when Jesus said…

John 3:3 CSB

3 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Nicodemus’ response was, “How can one be born when he is old?” (John 3:4)—he was CLUELESS!

John 3:10 CSB

10 “Are you a teacher of Israel and don’t know these things?” Jesus replied.

Paul is UNEQUIVOCAL—they were in need of SALVATION!

II. ISRAEL’S THREE-FOLD PROBLEM! - (10:2-3)

A. What they WERE: IGNORANT! - (vv.2-3a)

They had ZEAL! - (v.2a)

And Paul doesn’t knock them for that, but it was zeal without knowledge!

(v.2b) - “…but not according to knowledge!”

Folks, someone can be very zealous—they can be very sincere—but it’s possible that they are sincerely wrong!

Do you remember years ago when President Reagan made a request for organ donors?

Apparently, some well meaning people called in offering to donate, “…ONE of their LIVERS!”

B. What they DID! - (v.3b)

(v.3b) - “…attempted to establish their own righteousness,”

Isaiah 57:12 CSB

12 I will announce your righteousness, and your works—they will not profit you.

Isaiah 64:6 CSB

6 All of us have become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like a polluted garment; all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.

Some of Paul’s strongest words are for those who believe they can make it to heaven through the Law!

Galatians 5:3–4 CSB

3 Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to do the entire law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law are alienated from Christ; you have fallen from grace.

Jesus has something to say about this to the lukewarm church in Laodicea:

Revelation 3:17–18 CSB

17 For you say, ‘I’m rich; I have become wealthy and need nothing,’ and you don’t realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I advise you to buy from me gold refined in the fire so that you may be rich, white clothes so that you may be dressed and your shameful nakedness not be exposed, and ointment to spread on your eyes so that you may see.

C. What they DIDN’T DO: SUBMIT! - (v.3c)

(v.3c) - “…they have not submitted to God’s righteousness.”

They could NOT earn God’s righteousness!

“What is the measure or standard of God’s righteousness?”

Matthew 5:20 CSB

20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:48 CSB

48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

The Jews were UNABLE to CHANGE their PAST; to FIX their PRESENT; or to DETERMINE their FUTURE!

And, according to David Hocking,

“These verses are a picture of man today! […] The problem of Israel is our problem today: lack of knowledge and and an unwillingness to submit! We would much rather say, ‘Show me 36 things I need to do…’”

That is NOT the path to “God’s righteousness!”

Philippians 3:9 CSB

9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ—the righteousness from God based on faith.

III. The PURPOSE of CHRIST’S COMING! - (10:4-5)

Paul uses TWO GROUNDS, marked by the words “For” and “since” (both translate γὰρ) in (vv.4-5) - statements of evidence why (v.3) is TRUE!

A. Ground #1 - (v.4)

(v.4) - “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes,”

τελος, the object, scope, or final cause; the end proposed and intended.

Romans 10:4 NIV

4 Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

Romans 10:4 NLT

4 For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.

Hebrews 10:11–14 CSB

11 Every priest stands day after day ministering and offering the same sacrifices time after time, which can never take away sins. 12 But this man, after offering one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God. 13 He is now waiting until his enemies are made his footstool. 14 For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are sanctified.

B. Ground #2 - (v.5)

(v.5) - “since Moses writes about the righteousness that is from the law: The one who does these things will live by them.”

The MEANS to “…the righteousness that is from the law” is both SIMPLE and IMPOSSIBLE!

AND it is one word: OBEDIENCE!

The Scripture quotation Paul uses is found at least FIVE TIMES:

Leviticus 18:5 CSB

5 Keep my statutes and ordinances; a person will live if he does them. I am the Lord.

Nehemiah 9:29 CSB

29 You warned them to turn back to your law, but they acted arrogantly and would not obey your commands. They sinned against your ordinances, which a person will live by if he does them. They stubbornly resisted, stiffened their necks, and would not obey.

Ezekiel 20:11 CSB

11 Then I gave them my statutes and explained my ordinances to them—the person who does them will live by them.

Ezekiel 20:13 CSB

13 “ ‘But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not follow my statutes and they rejected my ordinances—the person who does them will live by them. They also completely profaned my Sabbaths. So I considered pouring out my wrath on them in the wilderness to put an end to them.

Ezekiel 20:21 CSB

21 “ ‘But the children rebelled against me. They did not follow my statutes or carefully keep my ordinances—the person who does them will live by them. They also profaned my Sabbaths. So I considered pouring out my wrath on them and exhausting my anger against them in the wilderness.

The PROBLEM: NO ONE DOES!

James 2:10 CSB

10 For whoever keeps the entire law, and yet stumbles at one point, is guilty of breaking it all.

Galatians 3:10 CSB

10 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, because it is written, Everyone who does not do everything written in the book of the law is cursed.

Deuteronomy 27:26 CSB

26 ‘Anyone who does not put the words of this law into practice is cursed.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’

Jeremiah 11:3 CSB

3 Tell them, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: “Let a curse be on the man who does not obey the words of this covenant,

FOLKS, the REASON why the attempt to “…establish their own righteousness” FAILED (then and now) is because:

Romans 3:20 CSB

20 For no one will be justified in his sight by the works of the law, because the knowledge of sin comes through the law.

CONCLUSION to Part One:

I want to close this morning’s message with a quotation and Scripture:

Lenski - “The way to righteousness by means of Law and our doing is forever closed to us because of our sin.”

And while we rightly say, “Amen,” the GOOD NEWS is that God has the final word:

Romans 3:23–26 CSB

23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; 24 they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as the mercy seat by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. 26 God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be just and justify the one who has faith in Jesus.

NEXT WEEK: The Principle of Faith! - (10:6-13)